Ribose
is a pentose (five-carbon sugar) that is a component
of the ribonucleic acid (RNA), where it alternates with
phosphate groups to form the 'back-bone' of the RNA
polymer and binds to nitrogenous bases. Ribose phosphates
are components of the nucleotide coenzymes and are utilized
by microorganisms in the synthesis of the amino acid
histidine. Its close relative, deoxyribose, is a constituent
of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), where it alternates
with phosphate groups to form the 'back-bone' of the
DNA polymer and binds to nitrogenous bases. The presence
of deoxyribose instead of ribose is one difference between
DNA and RNA. Ribose has one more oxygen atom in its
molecule than deoxyribose. Ribose has a five member
ring composed of four carbon atoms and one oxygen. Hydroxyl
groups are attached to three of the carbons. The other
carbon and a hydroxyl group are attached to one of the
carbon atoms adjacent to the oxygen. In deoxyribose,
the carbon furthest from the attached carbon is stripped
of the oxygen atom in what would be a hydroxyl group
in ribose. The sugar (ribose or deoxyribose) molecules
in the nucleic acid are all oriented in the same direction.
Their carbon atoms are numbered: the 5' carbon atom
is always on the side of the sugar molecule that faces
the leading end, while the 3' carbon atom always faces
the tail end. Nucleotide is the structural unit of a
nucleic acid. A nucleotide consists of either a nitrogenous
heterocyclic base (purine or pyrimidine) , a pentose
sugar (ribose or deoxyribose) and a phosphate group
attached at the 5' position on the sugar. A nucleoside
consists of only a pentose sugar linked to a purine
or pyrimidine base, without a phosphate group. Purine
bases are Adenine, Guanine and Hypoxanthine (examples
of purine nucleosides are Adenosine, 2'-Deoxyadenosine,
Guanosine, 2'-Deoxyguanosine, Inosine, 2'-Deoxyinosine).
Pyrimidine bases are Cytosine, Thymine, and Uracil (examples
of pyrimidine nucleosides are Cytidine, 2'-Deoxyguanosine,
5-Methyluridine, 2'-Deoxy-5-Methyluridine, Uridine,
2'-Deoxyuridine). The nucleoside derivatives are involved
in important functions in cellular metabolism and are
used to synthesize enzyme inhibitors, antiviral agents,
and anticancer agents.
Urasil is a pyrimidine base, occurring condensed with ribose or deoxyribose to
form the nucleosides uridine and deoxyuridine in animal cells. It is a
fundamental unit or base of nucleic acids. When N1 is linked to the C1 of
ribose, urasil forms a pyrimidine nucleoside called uridines which are
phosphorylated with from one to three phosphoric acid groups to form the three
nucleotides; uridine monophosphate (UMP), uridine diphosphate (UDP), and uridine
triphosphate (UTP) respectively. When N1 is linked to the C1 of deoxyribose,
deoxy nucleosides and nucleotides are formed from urasil and deoxyribose;
deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP), deoxyuridine diphosphate (dUDP), and
deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP). UTP is an activated precursor in the synthesis
of UDP-linked hexoses. UDP acts as the chief transferring coenzyme in
carbohydrate metabolism to produce sucrose in plants, lactose and glycogen in
mammals, and chitin in insects. UTP is involved in the formation of adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) as a donator of phosphate groups to adenosine diphosphate
(ADP). Uridine is important in biosynthesis of DNA and in the preservation and
transfer of genetic information. It is known that there is no uridine in
ribonucleic acid (RNA); the uridine nucleotides contain only deoxyribose.
- Urasil:
a pyrimidine base
- Uridinea pyrimidine nucleoside
- Uridine Monophosphate (UMP, Uridylic acid): a nucleotide, the
5'-phosphate of uridine; a component of ribonucleic acid.
- Uridine Diphosphate
(UDP): a nucleotide, the 5'-pyrophosphate of uridine; acting as the chief
transferring coenzyme in carbohydrate metabolism; acting as a carrier of
hexoses, hexosamines, and hexuronic acids which are intermediates in the
metabolism.
- Uridine Triphosphate (UTP): a nucleotide, the 5'-triphosphate of
uridine; acting as a precursor in the synthesis of ribonucleic acid and of
UDP-linked intermediates.
- Deoxyuridine Monophosphate (dUMP): a nucleotide,
the 5'-phosphate of deoxyuridine; an intermediate in the synthesis of
deoxythymidine triphosphate. (deoxy-, also called desoxy, is a prefix for
the designation of compounds which contain one less atom of oxygen than the
reference substance).
- Deoxyuridine Diphosphate (dUDP): a nucleotide,
the 5'-phosphate of deoxyuridine; an intermediate in the synthesis of
deoxythymidine triphosphate.
- Deoxyuridine Triphosphate (dUTP): a nucleotide,
the 5'-triphosphate of deoxyuridine; an intermediate in the synthesis of
deoxyribonucleotides.
Chemically modified nucleotides substituted
or attached by special chemical groups or elements are studied
and used to inactivate the normal biological operation in the living organism
and the function of important enzymes.
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